Only an inquiry will do in Glasgow

IN THE debate on the call to hold an independent inquiry into the running of Scotland’s largest city, the interim Labour leader Jim Coleman proclaimed that Glasgow City Council was “far bigger than one man”.

The man in question was Steven Purcell, the council’s former leader who resigned in mysterious circumstances and later confirmed he had taken cocaine and had a serious alcohol problem.

In the wake of Mr Purcell’s resignation there have been allegations which call into question the way he ran the city, including hiving off work to arm’s length companies with councillors on their boards paid extra for their time.

It is far from clear whether they did what they were supposed to do, which was run services more like private companies, and there were further allegations involving the links between Mr Purcell and various powerful business figures, some Labour donors, in his city.

Mr Coleman and his Labour group have done themselves and their city a disservice by their self-serving argument that nothing needs to be done.

The voters, who associate politics with sleeze and corruption, will not accept this. They must not accept this. Glasgow needs someone or some body – perhaps Audit Scotland – to give it a clean bill of health. Until that happens the rancid smell of suspicion will continue to waft around its grand Victorian chambers.